“Anyone who doubts that they are not marketing this to kids ought to ask how many adults want gummy bear cigarettes?” Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a Midtown Manhattan news conference Sunday.

As 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck reported, Schumer is co-sponsoring a Senate bill that would ban e-cigarette marketing campaigns targeted at children. Since the makers of conventional cigarettes cannot market to children, e-cigarette companies should not be allowed either, Schumer argued.

The American Association of Public Health Physicians recommends e-cigarettes to smokers as a way to wean off traditional cigarettes. While they don’t contain tar, they still have nicotine, which can be addictive.

“Instead of being harmless, e-cigarettes are actually a gateway to conventional smoking, particularly for kids,” Schumer said. “That’s the problem.”